By Dr. Ursula A.
Falk
The doctrine of the
Messiah has been a pervasive belief in our Jewish religion. Although other
religions (The Greeks, the Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians, as
well as, of course, the Christians) believed and believe in a redeemer, a
savior, their basic ideas differed from ours. The Jewish concept of the
Moschiach is a G’d elected Redeemer for Kol Yisroel, for the State of
Israel and for all of mankind. Because of its mystical character and its
supernatural goals, it remained shadowy in its outline and varied in
description. Its early origins lie half concealed because no unitary or
fully developed conception of the Moschiach was rendered at any time in
ancient Jewish writings. The Messiah’s personality, his attributes, his
stature and the manner of his “coming” and the time that this would
occur are not definite. He would be sent by Haschem to free his chosen and
all other just peoples from prejudices from misery, injustice and
oppression and everyone would live forever in a kind of nirvana. At that
time there would be heaven on earth for all good people. There would be
unity and no dissention among all men who were worthy of redemption.
As a child I was
always told by my parents that some day the Messiah would come. He would
resurrect all of the dead, with the emphasis on my deceased grandparents,
aunts and uncles, and they would arise from their graves, be free, happy
and joyful. In my mind I could see these skeletons dancing, with Moschiach
leading the way. I could picture myself eating candy, cookies, cake and
ice cream all the time and forever (and of course never get fat – a
later thought. I was always told at my mother’s knee that in the
hereafter when we arrive in heaven we would be coming to the set table and
consume all the Leviathan we could eat – a form of fish. This was
unappealing since I didn’t like leviathan in any event). What a
wonderful thought for a child! For an adult also it is a great and
peaceful thought and gives a feeling of eternity, since after each and all
are resurrected no one will ever die again. This has a number of
psychological explanations and serves a decided healing purpose; it is
also an enforcer. If we as Jews obey the “Karyagim Mitzwot” (613
commandments or “blessings”) and be moral folk we will be rewarded
when the Messiah comes. Therefore we must be “good” and righteous on
earth. Also we will never die after we have reappeared from the
“Kever” (grave). The fear that the majority of humanity has of death
will therefore not be the pain and finality of our being that is so
universally dreaded and anticipated with terror. The concept and
anticipation of the coming of the Moschiach includes the edict that we as
Jews must leave our bodies intact when we are buried. If we have lost a
limb it must be buried with us so it can be utilized to our benefit and
that of our bodies.
When faced with
anti-Semitism, the bitter frustrations, pain, hatreds and disappointments
in life, we yearn for a Messiah who will right all the wrongs that have
existed. He will be very much like the idealized father figure (he will
also of course have the attributes of the mother figure with the giving of
unconditional love, the “lev tov” / good heart) that is described as
and will protect us from all evil so that we will forever be enveloped in
a utopian kind of existence.
Until the Moschiach
comes let us say Shalom!
